Category Archives: Biofuels & Climate Change

This week saw the first-ever completely biofuel-powered flight take place. The National Research Council of Canada conducted the first flight on 100 percent renewable, drop-in biofuel on its Falcon 20 jet, according to oilprice.com, marking a huge milestone for the aviation and renewable energy industries. Oilseed crops commercialized by Agrisoma were used as a feedstock and transformed by Applied Research Associates into a complete replacement fuel for conventional jet fuel. Previously, flights on biofuels had Read More >

“The future is now and it is here,” said Pramod Chaudhari, executive chairman of Praj Industries. “Each one of us is making the effort and pushing the envelope to create a new biobased economy.” Chaudhari discussed efforts to find renewable chemicals that can replace petroleum along with other panelists at BIO’s Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy plenary session, Biotechnology and Renewable Chemicals: The Future is Now. The panelists talked about using renewable Read More >

Day 1 of the BIO Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy kicked off Wednesday in surprisingly sunny Vancouver, British Columbia, with a series of presentations suggesting that purpose-grown energy crops (PGECs) may soon have their day. In the opening session in the Biomass Production and Utilization breakout track, Chris Roach of Ceres, Inc., reminded conference-goers that, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Billion Ton Update, PGECs have the greatest potential of any feedstock source to supply Read More >

BIO’s 2012 Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy comes to Vancouver, Canada next week, October 9-12. Now in its 7th year, the Summit will explore the latest issues in industrial biotechnology, including algae, advanced biofuels, biopolymers and bioplastics, dedicated energy crops, green chemistry, and synthetic biology. “We are excited to bring this conference to Vancouver to highlight the industry’s growth, particularly in Canada,” said Brent Erickson, executive vice president for BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Read More >

Large swaths of the United States have experienced extreme and exceptional drought conditions this year. And the USDA has predicted lower yields and supply for corn through the remainder of the year. This has touched off a revival of the food before fuel debate, with very few speaking up on behalf of the fuel side. Governors from eight states – Delaware, Maryland, Arkansas, North Carolina, Georgia, New Mexico, Texas and Virginia – have written EPA Read More >